The Hearts Home
by Silverfox289s
Summary: The hearts home is an epic story about Jim Hawkins and a girl named Kira. Jim first meets Kira when he, his mom and a family friend are captured and kept on a ship headed for treasure planet. Jim and Kira struggle to get along, and are usually the cause of fights on the ship. Where will there journey lead the 2 teens, and how will it help them grow and get to know one another?
1. Chapter 1

Prologue

"Jim. Get up." Sarah called up the stairs. No answer. "Jim." Sarah went upstairs and found her sons room empty. Sarah sighed and went back downstairs to help the customers.

"Wha-who!" Jim shouted. He sped along on his solar surfer, inches from the ground, his long brown bangs flying back. As Jim was flying along a small ship suddenly came flying down, about a mile in front of him, it was smoking and it landed with a crash. Dust flew up around it, hiding it from view for a moment. Jim shot forward toward the ship. As he neared it he turned off his solar surfer, and jumped off of it. He ran to the ship and banged on a small round window on the door.

"Hey, are you alright in there?" Jim called. Jim jumped back as a as a clawed reptile paw smacked the glass. Jim quickly opened the door. A lizard man stumbled out, with a small treasure chest, and fell down. The chest tumbled out of the lizard man's arms and landed with a thud.

"Are you all right?" Jim asked.

"They're a coming." The lizard man coughed.

"Who's coming?" Jim questioned, the crazed lizard man.

"Cyborgs." The Lizard man wheezed, he grabbed Jims shirt and dragged him close, "The Cyborgs, they want me chest." The lizard man motioned for Jim to give him the chest. Jim gave it to him. "But they're going to have to pry it from Billy Bones' cold, dead hands before they get it." Bones hacked and coughed. Bones unlocked his chest and pulled out a small sphere, it was wrapped and tied with cloth and rope.

"Protect it for me." Bones wheezed. He placed it in Jim's hands then his head slowly fell to the ground and Bones died.

**Chapter 1**

"Turnip. Where did that blasted lizard go with our map?" Silver yelled to the little creature with six eyes.

"He went zat way captain. He went to Montresser." Turnip replied in his high pitched voice.

"Mr. Turnbuckle." Silver called.

"Yes, captain?" Mr. Turnbuckle replied.

"Get this great heap heading toward Montresser."

"Eye-captain." Mr. Turnbuckle replied. He tuned the ship and headed toward Montresser.

"Captain! His ship; it's crashed over zere!" Turnip cried down.

"Land the ship." Silver shouted at his crew. Silver jumped off the ship as it landed, his robotic leg bent when he landed, but his normal leg collapsed under his weight and he ended up on one knee. He hauled himself up and headed toward the crashed ship.

"Blast it." Silver muttered, when he saw Bones lying dead on the ground with his small treasure chest standing open and empty. A set of foot prints caught his attention, he followed them with his mechanical eye. The foot prints ended at the scuff mark of a solar surfer. He followed the dust trail, shifting the setting in his mechanical eye, so he could see farther. He saw a young teenage boy quickly flying off on a solar surfer.

"Get the ship turned that way." Silver shouted pointing in the direction of the retreating teen. Silver boarded the ship as it started up and slowly turned. As they got closer to the boy, the boy noticed them and sped up. He turned down a path, and they lost sight of him for a bit, but then they caught sight of him far ahead. They stayed far enough back so that he couldn't see them and the boy, without realizing it, led them to the Benbow Inn.

**Jim's POV**

As Jim sped home he noticed a ship following him. He sped up, but the ship just picked up speed too. Finally he turned into an alley way in hopes to shake them off his trail. It worked! He hurried home. He placed his solar surfer against the side of the Benbow inn, before going in.

"James Pleiades Hawkins!" His mother scolded him, "Where have you been? You should have been home half an hour ago. I needed help cleaning up after the customers left. "

"This old lizard crashed and I tried to help him, but he-he died. He gave me this." Jim explained, holding out the sphere. Jim unwrapped the sphere. It was a dirty yellow colored ball with lines going around it and different sized circles on it.

"How interesting." Delbert, an old friend of the family, said. He took the sphere and examined it, "Look at the markings on this thing." Jim took the sphere back, he poked in a few of the circles, with a click the rest of the circles went in. Jim rotated the top part of the sphere then the middle, and with a whoosh, a big map appeared, it was not a paper map, it floated in the air a giant "globe."

"A map!" Cried Delbert, "Look, there's us Montresser, there's the space port…" Delbert went through the names of other planets, "And oh! There's-,"

"Treasure planet." Jim said, with awe in his voice. Suddenly they heard a man shout,

"Find the boy and get the map!"

Jim closed the map and shoved it in his pocket.

"Run!" Jim yelled he turned to run, but it was too late. The door smashed in and a man with a big belly stepped in, and the first thing Jim noticed about him was that his right arm, leg, and eye were mechanical. Other creatures shoved in and grabbed Delbert, Sarah, and Jim.

"Let go." Jim growled through gritted teeth as he struggled, to get free.

"Where's the map?" The burly man with the mechanical eye asked.

"What is the meaning of this?" Delbert asked. The man ignored Delbert and went to Jim.

"Give it here, boy. You know what I'm talkin' about, what did the lizard give you?" Jim just stood there glaring at the man.

"What do you know about it?" The burly man turned to Sarah.

"Get out of here." Sarah spat at him.

"Put them on the ship. We'll search them there." The burly man ordered, and the creatures that had grabbed them dragged them to the ship. Jim, his mom, and Delbert were dragged onto the ship. Jim struggled, trying to get free as he was dragged onto the ship, but the large grey creature with four muscular arms and a red face had a strong hold on him. When Jim was finally dragged onto the ship he saw that Sarah and Delbert had already been tied to a thick pole. The creature dragged Jim, who was fighting the whole way, to a pole and tied Jim to it, tying Jim's hands behind his back and around the pole.

"Search them." The burly man with the mechanical eye ordered.

"Eye-Silver." Replied one of the crew members, and a creature came and started feeling along Jims Pockets. Jim kicked the creature away as it got close to the pocket with the map.

"He got nothin' on him Captain." The creature said, getting up. Two others confirmed that Sarah, and Delbert were clear too.

"What's your name boy?" Silver asked harshly, narrowing his eyes to glare at Jim.

"Jim." Jim answered.

"Jim here is our new cabin boy. Kira." Silver addressed his crew now.

"Yes sir?" A tall, slim girl, with long dark brown hair and eyes, appeared. She looked about Jim's age.

"Take these two into separate rooms and lock their doors." Silver ordered. Kira walked over to Sarah and Delbert, untied them and started pushing them along. Once Kira and the other two were in the stronghold of the ship and out of sight Silver turned his attention to his crew.

"Well, why are ya'll stand-in' round? Get back to work." His robotic arm turned into a knife and Silver slashed the ropes that tied Jim to the pole. Jim started to run but Silver was prepared for it and grabbed Jim by his arm and started dragging him to his office.

"Jim, you got somethin' I want, and I'll get it from you, but for now you are going to work for me, on me fine ship here. You can do just about anything you want in your free time so go on get outa here." Silver said sternly to Jim, before sending him away. Jim turned to leave when Silver added, "And Jimbo, I don't want you getting any ideas about run-in away. Remember I've got your mother and if you don't want her hurt you'll do as you be told."

Jim was standing around on the deck of the ship when Kira walked up to him with an empty bucket and a mop.

"You're supposed to wash the deck." She handed him the mop and bucket.

"You can't make me." Jim snapped as he dropped the mop and bucket at Kira's feet.

"Oh yah? You want a bet?" Kira snapped back

"Yeah! What-cha gonna' do 'bout it?" Jim challenged her. He turned and started walking away.

"You can't make me wash the stupid deck." Jim muttered under his breath. Jim was just about to head into the stronghold of the ship when, THUNK! The bucket smacked into the back of his head, the broom followed closely smacking him in the back. He whirled around glaring at Kira while rubbing the back of his head where it stung from the blow of the bucket.

"What was that for?!" Jim shouted, even though he knew what it was for.

"I suggest you start washing the deck." Kira snarled. Jim grabbed the bucket and mop turned and stormed away.

"Great." Jim muttered to himself, "Now I'm stuck in a ship as a cabin boy. And all for a stupid map." He dragged the mop across the deck in front of him.


	2. Chapter 2

Jim looked around his room it was small with only a bed and a very small dresser, with a lamp on top. He hadn't had time to relax all day it took most of the day to wash the deck. He pulled out the map and stared at it while he walked to the small dresser, he opened the first of the two drawers and saw a spare pare of clothes, he shoved the map back into his pocket and lifted up the shirt, these clothes definitely weren't left here for him; they were huge. He shoved the shirt back into the drawer then put the map in the back of the drawer behind the shirt and pants. He closed the drawer then went to see if the lamp worked, as he grabbed the switch and was about to turn it, the lamp evaporated into a pink floating blob with eyes.

"Ahh!" Jim jumped back, startled. The blob turned into a tiny model of Jim, and imitated him,

"Ah." It squeaked, and jumped back as Jim had done.

"What are you?" Jim asked, more to himself than the blob.

"What are you?" The blob chided, then leaned forward and examined Jim, just like Jim was doing to him.

The pink blob suddenly took his attention off Jim and zoomed around him once then out the door, Jim turned to see Kira standing in the door watching him. He hadn't even noticed her open the door. Kira blushed then quickly pulled herself together,

"Come." She said curtly. Then turned and started walking down the hall, Jim reluctantly followed Kira down the hall, and up onto the main deck. Kira handed him a bucket filled with soapy water, and a mop, and a brush, then with her own she moved onto a different section of the deck. Jim turned and started angrily mopping the deck, he swore he felt her gaze burning into him, but he didn't dare turn around.

**Kira's POV**

As Kira mopped the deck she watched Jim, and thought about how he had caught her staring, she couldn't help it though. He was so young and handsome, but she couldn't let it show. She didn't have time for flattery or gushy feelings, she had to be tough. _Why couldn't an unattractive boy found the stupid map instead?_ Kira thought. She turned and started paying attention to her work, she didn't want Jim to catch her staring again. _Does he like me too? No! Don't think about him. He's just a stupid cabin boy that has _our_ map. _Kira scolded herself. She shoved her mop into her bucket, the bucket fell over as she jerked the mop out. Kira quickly bent down, cheeks and ears burning, to pick up the bucket. Kira heard a chuckle behind her, her cheeks burned even more than before. Suddenly her embarrassment turned into anger. _How dare he laugh at me_! In a rage Kira stood and turned toward Jim in one swift movement. She narrowed her eyes, and she was pleased to see his smile vanish, as she lunged at him.

**Jim's POV**

Jim heard the slosh of a mop being shoved into the bucket too hard, then a splash and clatter as the bucket fell over. He turned and saw Kira's bucket on its side, its contents spreading over the deck, he watched as Kira's cheeks turned bright red, and she quickly bent down to pick up her bucket. Jim let out an involuntary chuckle, Kira's cheeks turned an even brighter red. Suddenly Kira stood and turned toward him, her eyes narrowed angrily, his smile vanished. She lunged at him, Jim quickly jumped to the side, hoping to dodge her, but somehow she had read how he was going to move and had placed her leg in the way. Jim found himself sitting in his bucket, and now it was his turn for his cheeks to burn, and they did, they burned like fire. Kira stood over him with a smirk. She turned and started mopping again as if nothing had happened. Jim struggled out of the bucket, his pants were soaking, and he stood there glowering at her. Then an idea popped into his head, he flicked his mop up with his toe, and caught it. He positioned it in his hands then he swung it at Kira's legs knocking her over, she landed on her but with a heavy thud. Kira growled at Jim, and lunged at him sending him flying into a beam, he landed with a thud and before he could get up, or react Kira was on him, she gave him a good punch in the nose, his nose throbbed and started bleeding, she was about to give him another when he grabbed her shirt and rolled her off of him.

**Kira's** **POV**

Kira was slammed onto the deck, and pain shot up her back, but she ignored it, she kicked up with her knee, and she slammed Jim in the stomach. She heard him wheeze as the air was forced out of his lungs by the blow, and she quickly shoved him off before he could recover. She quickly stood and watched him intently, trying to read his actions, his nose was bleeding. He stood up, she glared at him and he glared at her, then at the exact same time they lunged and latched onto each other, Kira found herself tumbling across the deck. Jim still clinging tightly to her, and she tightened her grip she was not going to be the one to go tumbling across the deck, flung by Jim's momentum.

**Jim's POV**

Suddenly Jim was snapped out of his concentration by a harsh voice.

"What in the blazes is goin' on here?" Silver's voice thundered. Jim found himself being lifted off of Kira by the back of his shirt. Silver placed Jim to his left, his good arm, and Kira to his right, his robotic arm. Jim's nose was bleeding heavily, and his gut was bruised along with several bruises along his arms, Jim saw that Kira's shirt was ripped and she had a bruise under her eye and on her arms as well.

"What is this all about?" Silver asked angrily.

"Um-uh, well." Jim stuttered, he didn't know how to answer.

"We were just settling some of our differences." Kira said boldly.

"Tis that right?" Silver said out loud to himself. Suddenly the pink blob came zooming from in Silver's room,

"Hey morph. I be wondering where you got off to." Silver turned and faced the two teens again, "Now, I don't need nobody fightin' on me ship. Jim go to your room. Kira, come with me." Silver turned and walked away, Kira right behind him, and headed into his room. Jim wiped the blood from his nose with his shirt sleeve.

**Kira's POV**

Kira followed Silver into his room and sat down on one of the chairs in the large room while Silver closed and locked the door. He turned to Kira,

"Now, what was that about?" Silver asked.

"It was Jim's fault." Kira lied, "He tripped me on purpose with his mop." _At least that part was true._ Kira thought.

"Uh-huh." Silver indicated for her to go on.

"So I was just going to remind him that he is only a cabin boy." Kira concluded. _Most boys would just cower away from me, or just stand there very angry. He's different, he retaliated by tripping me and defending himself. I respect that. But he got hurt way more than I did, I don't think he was trying his best. He didn't want to hurt me. I respect that too. _Kira started thinking about their recent fight, then her mind wandered off topic._ I like him. His cute nose, and his blue eyes, his braid and puff at the end. I like it when he smiles, he has a cute smile._

"Well you put him in his place. You can go." Silver interrupted Kira's thoughts, "Just don't let it happen again. You let me deal with the boy."

**Jim's POV**

Jim went to his room, and when he got there he closed the door and flopped onto the small bed. He stared at the ceiling for a bit, then sat up and examined his cuts and bruises. He had a big bruise on his shoulder, one shoulder and several scrapes along both arms. Okay, so she was growing on him. He had to admit that. It's just that he couldn't show it. It wasn't cool.

"Come on, don't go soft on me now." Jim said to himself. He got up and paced the small room, he started thinking about his mom, how was she? Was she being treated well? Jim flopped onto the bed again, and just lay there staring at the roof, his mind wandered to Kira again, her hazel brown eyes, her long dark brown almost black hair, the way she smirked, her flaring temper ready to explode at any moment. Everything about her attracted him, he didn't know why. He had never liked a girl before, how were you supposed to act? That was Jims last thought as he drifted off to sleep.

Jim woke early, he sat up, grabbed the pencil he had been given, he drew a line beside two others on the side of his bed, it was his third day on the ship. He flopped back onto the bed dropping the pencil in the partially open top drawer of the dresser.

"Happy 15th birthday Jim." Jim told himself. As he sat up he realized that his boots were off, he didn't remember taking them off, or putting the covers on. His boots were neatly on the floor and his covers on his legs now. He swung around so that his legs were on the edge of the bed, he grabbed a boot and started pulling it on. He was just reaching for the other one when it jumped forward, he lunged after it and it went hopping away.

"Hey, Morph!" Jim snapped playfully, "I don't have time for this." He shot under the bed where Morph flew with his boot. Just then Jim heard the door open, Morph flew out from under the bed carrying Jim's boot with him. Jim heard someone giggle, it sounded like a girl so it must have been Kira,

"Great," Jim muttered to himself, "Just great." He quickly wriggled out from under the bed. Kira closed the door, and lunged at Morph, who was still carrying Jim's boot, she missed and Jim took a jump at it. Laughing, Kira lunged at Morph again. They jumped and grabbed at Morph over and over, Morph made a giggly voice and kept on dodging them. And then at the same time Jim and Kira jumped at Morph, they both grabbed the boot, and they collided and landed in a tangled, laughing heap on the floor. They untangled themselves and got up, Jim pulled on his boot, and then he dared to say,

"I-you don't usually laugh. I like it, your laugh, that is. It's, nice." He blushed and quickly looked at the ground.

**Kira's POV**

Kira walked into Jim's room to get him, she saw him on the floor his legs sticking out from under the bed. She scowled, _why was he fooling around?_ But her frown turned into a giggle as Morph flew out from under the bed with Jim's boot. She tried to keep her cool as she lunged at Morph, and then watched as Jim took a turn. But she couldn't help it, she started laughing as she lunged for the boot again. Then after a couple more tries they both jumped at the same time and collided, they both had grabbed the boot, and she collapsed to the floor laughing. Jim was tangled around her, she struggled to get up and untangled, it took a bit but they finally stood up.

"I-you don't usually laugh. I like it, your laugh, that is. It's nice." Jim said hesitantly. Kira didn't know what to say, she had never liked a boy before or had a boy like her before. So she ended with a simple,

"Thank you."

"Um, do you know if it's okay if I go see my mom?" Jim asked later on in the morning.

"Yeah, I think it's okay. Come I'll take you to her." Kira led the way down a small set of stairs, turned a corner and walked down a short hall that led to the kitchen.

"She works with the cook. The food has been tasting way better now that she has been helping. I mean, Silver's a good cook and all, but-,"

"Silver's the cook?! I thought he was the captain." Jim interrupted.

"He is the captain, and the cook. He wanted a trained captain to lead the ship but he couldn't find any good ones on Montresser."

**Jim's POV**

Just then they entered the kitchen and Jim saw his mom, she was peeling potatoes,

"Mom!" he said. Sarah looked up, her eyes lit up instantly at the sight of her son.

"Jim!" she stood and they embraced in a warm loving hug. "Happy birthday Jim." She said, tears running down her cheeks. Jim had to hold back tears as he hugged her again.

"Well, we have to go. Silver will be upset if we don't clean his office." Kira reluctantly intruded in their reunion.

"By mom." Jim said, holding back tears.

"Love you Jim, happy 15th birthday." Sarah smiled through her tears. She stared after Jim as he followed Kira down the hall and disappeared from view all too soon.

Jim followed Kira to a closet with cleaning supplies, then to Silver's office. He grabbed a sponge, soaked it in hot soapy water then started scrubbing the floor, while Kira started clearing off his desk. Jim coughed as a puff of dust was blown off Silver's desk and into his face. He wiped his nose with the back of his sleeve.

"Sorry." Kira apologized, "his desk hasn't been cleaned in a while."

"I noticed." Jim said, holding back a sneeze, but he couldn't hold it back and his sneeze blew a couple papers off Silver's desk blowing dust into Kira's face making her sneeze too. Jim held back a laugh at the look of Kira's face as she tried not to sneeze again. He remembered the last time he laughed at her.

"Come on, let's get this thing cleaned up." Kira finally said.

Silver came in when they were almost done,

"I'm just checking on you two scoundrels." Silver said cheerfully when he walked in, "and by the looks a' things you two be doing great! Go on you can be done now, you be working all morning." Silver released them from their duty. Jim stood up and wiped his brow, before walking out.

**Kira's POV**

Kira stayed behind and watched as Jim left the room.

"You can go too." Silver said.

"I want to talk to you about Jim. It's his birthday." Kira said.

"A birthday! Why we haven't had a birthday on this here ship in a while. How old do you think he be turning?" Silver exclaimed.

"Fifteen. That's what his mom said." Kira replied.

"I see. Make it for this evening." Silver said thoughtfully, before plopping down in his chair.


	3. A Birthday!

Nothing special happened all day for Jim, he didn't expect anything to happen either. The ship was only dimly lit by the time he finished swabbing the deck and started toward the stairs that led down toward his room. Jim jumped back when the crew suddenly climbed up the stairs and shouted,

"Happy Birthday!" they all started partying and shouting and hollering. Jim noticed that all of the crew were wearing fancy clothes, one had a bow tie another had a suit and the little alien head with hands for feet wore fancy white gloves. _Where did they get all the clothes?_ Jim thought.

And all that time Jim didn't see Kira; but suddenly there she was walking along in a red dress, it didn't have shoulders but it had three thin straps on each side that hung just off her shoulders. Her long dark hair hung down except for her long bangs, they had been split in the middle and brought back in a ponytail, kind of like a crown. Jim didn't want to be caught staring so he lowered his eyes and noticed she wasn't wearing any shoes, her dress covered her feet, but when she walked the front half of her feet poked out.

Kira went to her room and opened her drawer, she reached all the way to the back and grabbed out a long red dress. She very rarely got to dress up fancy and be a 'girl'. The ship celebrated a couple special occasions. Birthdays were one of them. The special occasions were very important on this ship because it gave the crew something to do other than routine day in and day out. It gave them a reason to celebrate. And it was the only time they were aloud at the beer.

At first the party was just the crew standing on the deck talking, and joking. But then some of them went down into the stronghold of the ship, and came up hollering, and holding big barrels of beer. Jim looked and saw Kira heading down into the stronghold if the ship. She came up a couple minutes later with her usual clothes. A pair of jeans with a belt, a white tank-top with a button up shirt on top. The button up shirt was left open, and untucked and the tank-top was tucked in.

"Sorry about the crew." Kira apologized, "The alcohol is saved for special occasions, and when they are allowed to get at it they don't stop." Jim shrugged in reply. One of the crew came over to her and made kissing lips at her. Kira's face turned red with anger, her fist flew and smashed into the creatures face, there was a crunching sound as his nose broke under the force of her fist. The creature landed on the ship deck with a thud and didn't get up. Jim stood with his mouth open as Kira wiped the blood off her fist onto one of the crew member's fancy suits. Realizing he was staring Jim clamped his mouth shut and looked away. _Dude, what is with all the staring?_ Jim scolded himself. The creature, whose outfit now had a blood stain on it, turned in anger toward Kira.

"Hey." He growled in a low deep voice. He cracked his knuckles, and stepped threateningly toward Kira. Kira, still in a rage stepped toward the creature.

"Hey, what? You got a problem?" Kira spat the words out. The creature just took another step toward Kira. That did it, Kira gave a shout and jumped onto the large gray creature, with four arms and a red face, knocking him to the ground. Her fist flew at his face, the drunk crew noticed the fight and joined in. Soon the whole crew was fighting, but Jim just stood and watched until he suddenly found himself thrown to the ground by one of the crew. He looked around for the creature that had shoved him. When Jim spotted the one guilty, he jumped up and threw a couple punches at the creature. The creature dodged the last of Jims punches and kicked him in the stomach, Jim felt the air rush out of his lungs but he forced himself to jump onto the creature and punch him in the face. Jim's eyes lit up as he fought, this was the most exciting thing that had happened on the ship yet! He kicked a creature in the shin before turning and punching another. He started to get frustrated, he couldn't dodge enough blows that were aimed at him and he was getting a little beat up. Kicking and punching, being kicked and punched back. But soon he found his rhythm the rhythm he used to have before he was suspended from school for fighting too much, he managed to dodge most of the fists and feet that were aimed at him, then retaliating with his own. He was suddenly jerked off a creature he had pinned by a different crew member. Jim turned and bumped face first into the chest of a tall gray creature with four arms and a small red face.

"Watch it twerp." The creature said in a low voice and flung him to the side. Jim was now out of the tangle of fighting creatures, but he bumped into another creature. Before Jim could get grabbed or shoved again, he jumped forward and whirled around to see a tall red spider creature, with glittering yellow eyes. He hadn't seen this creature before.

"What are you doing here?" Jim demanded to know.

"Cabin boyssss should learn to mind their own buisssnesss." The creature hissed.

"Why? You got something to hide, bright eyes?" Jim challenged the spider creature.

The creature grabbed the front of Jim's shirt with a pincher hand, and stood up to his full height bringing Jim up as well. The creature brought Jim eye to eye with him,

"Maybe your ears don't work sssso well." The creature hissed again.

"Yeah?" Jim said, scrunching up his nose at the stench of the creature, "Too bad my nose works just fine." Jim had grabbed onto the creatures pincher and was struggling to get free.

"Why you impudent little!" The creature brought Jim back a bit, then slammed Jim into the post. "Any lassst wordsss cabin boy?" the creature brought his free pincher to Jim's throat. Suddenly a hard chunk of thick wood smacked the spider creature in the side of the head. The spider dropped Jim, who landed on his hind end, and rubbing the spot where the wood had hit him turned. There was Kira in her hands another chunk of wood, ready to be tossed.

"Mr. Scroop. Don't make me get Silver." Kira said in a commanding tone that Jim hadn't heard from her before. At the mention of Silver, Scroop, lowered his eyes.

"And might I remind you that Silver said specifically, that he didn't want _you_ to kill anyone. Is that clear Scroop?" Kira demanded. Scroop hesitated before answering.

"Transparently." As he watched this scene play out, Jim stood up, and rubbed his hind end.

She flew at him without hesitation he dodged and shoved her to the ground. She was on him again before he realized it and found his nose bleeding as she threw her fist in his face. He lifted his knee, slamming her in the stomach, he heard the air rush out of her mouth, she staggered back a moment then threw herself at him, sending them both to the ground.

Kira landed on Jim as she threw him to the ground. He had humiliated her by being able to shove her to the ground. In her anger and rage she started slamming Jims head against the deck, again and again. But she soon found herself being flipped onto her back and held there by Jim. She struggled under his strong grip, he had her legs pinned down with his knees, and he held her arms down and out with his own. Suddenly it wasn't Jim on top of her, restraining her. It was someone else. Kira was dragged back in time to a different place. The memory as clear as if it were actually happening. The stench of alcohol and sweat wreathed around her until she was choking in it. She looked into the glittering black eyes of the man holding her down. She started shaking unbelievably. _SLADE!_ The name screamed in her brain, as she felt the searing pain of the knife on the upper part of her arm above her elbow, but bellow her shoulder.

"No! Don't; leave me alone!" Kira screamed, still shaking uncontrollably, "I won't do it again! I promise. Just stop."

Jim pinned Kira down, not intending to hurt her, just restrain her from her uncontrolled outburst. His head was aching, and he was breathing heavily. Kira suddenly stopped struggling and started shaking as if she were terrified. Her breaths started coming in quick gasps, and her eyes, met his but they seemed to be looking through him, as if he wasn't actually there. Then she started screaming and crying,

"No! Don't; leave me alone! I won't do it again! I promise. Just stop." Jim jumped off her, confused and startled. She fell quiet still shaking, and panting.

"Kira." Jim said in an even tone, "Kira, it's me, Jim." When she didn't reply he raised his voice and leaned closer to her face, "Kira!" Jim saw her eyes clear up a bit and he backed off. The crew didn't seem to notice anything that was happening other than their stupid fight. Kira slowly sat up, still shivering, she drew her arm over her eyes wiping away her tears, and then she got up and fled down into the stronghold of the ship.

Jim stood up, confused. Why had she done that? Silver suddenly came up holding a cake,

"Happy birthday Jimbo." Silver stopped short, seeing the crew, he walked up to a small table that had been set up to hold cups and set the cake down. Before turning to address the crew, he turned his robotic arm into a gun and fired it into the air three times. The fights slowly broke up.

"Now I want all of ya' to stop you're fightin' and git swabbin' this deck till it shines." Silver bellowed. "Jim come here an' have a try of yer' cake." Silvers voice softened, and his robotic arm turned back into a hand. He turned grabbed Jim's cake and passed it to him. Jim took the cake and headed to the kitchen. He paused in the door-way of the kitchen, his mother was washing dishes. He strode into the kitchen, setting the cake on a counter, he scuffed his boot on the floor. His mom whirled around, her eyes lighting up, and a smile spread across her face. That's what Jim liked about her, her eyes always seemed to light up when she saw him. She rushed over to him and hugged him. Jim was about to step away from his mom thinking it wasn't cool for fifteen year old boys to hug their moms, but changed his mind and hugged her back. They sat down and shared the cake together. There was no need for words the smile on his moms face said more than words could say.

It had been three weeks since Jim's birthday, and once every week the pirates had a story time where everyone took turns telling stories of what happened to them or stories they had learned over their travels. It was that kind of evening Jim had sat and listened many times, sitting un-noticed by the stairs as Silver told a story his robotic arm changing and making different shapes with the shadows on the wall. But it was the first time Jim decided to participate. He chose his favorite story, the story of Captain Nathaniel Flint, and where he kept all his treasure.

"On the clearest of nights when the winds of the Arthurian were calm and peaceful. The great merchant ships with their cargos of notarial solar crystals, felt safe and secure." Jim started out just telling the story, but as he went on his eyes lit up and his voice got more animated, until the whole crew, even though they had all heard the story before, were sitting on the edges of their seats in anticipation. "Little did they suspect that they were perused by pirates! And the most feared of all these pirates, was the notorious captain Nathaniel Flint. Like a cnidarian zap wing overtaking its prey, flint and his band of renegades, swooped in out of nowhere. And then gathering up their spoils, vanished without a trace. Flint's trove was never found, but stories have persisted that it remains hidden somewhere at the farthest reaches of the galaxy. Stowed with riches beyond imagination; the loot of a thousand worlds. Treasure Planet. There are nights when the winds of the Arthurian were so inviting in their promise of flight and freedom made one's spirit soar."


	4. Chapter 4

Kira didn't usually come down to listen to the stories. She usually stayed in her room or spent some time alone on the deck, or in the crow's nest. But tonight she felt drawn to go and listen. She sat alone in the shadows, un-noticed. She had never heard this story before, and just the way Jim told the story made it seem as if it were true. But how could it be? How could one pirate and his crew, just swoop in out of nowhere, and then vanish without a trace? _I'll have to ask Jim about it some time. No! What would that dumb kid know about anyways? He's just a stupid cabin boy, who has the map to where ever were going. Sheesh, why can't Silver just tell me where in this blasted universe they were going?_

All Silver had told her was that the place that they were going was going to make them rich, but he refused to give anything more away. _Silver's just a stupid cyborg. He probably doesn't even know where were going. He's probably just making it up. And why would a stupid boy have the map to the place were going? Hadn't Silver said an old lizard named Bones had the map they wanted? And what is with being a cook? He should have just hired a stupid cook. But no, _he_ had to be the stupid cook for his own stupid reasons. Silver is just stupid, and so is that boy._ Kira was so into her own thoughts that she didn't realize that Silver had started his own story. She had planned on staying to listen to the rest of the stories, but she had gotten so worked up that she forgot that she didn't want anyone to know she was there, and just stood up, knocking over an almost empty barrel of purps. Silver stopped telling his story, his robotic hand stopped too, it had been a blur of movement just moments before. He and everyone else in the room turned to see Kira.

"What are you all staring at?" Kira snapped, before kicking over the other barrel, that also almost empty, and full of some different fruit, and running down the hall. Kira flew to her room, as she slammed her door she heard a clunk as something fell on the floor. She looked and found her necklace on the floor. Kira bent and picked it up, it must have fallen out of her back pocket. She never wore it. She held the heart shape that was at the end of the thin chain in her hand, it had a crack down the middle where it had broken apart years ago; she had fixed it then with a special glue. Kira could remember the last time she had looked at the wretched piece of jewelry. It held her worst memories, yet she couldn't bring herself to get rid of it. Maybe because it was a part of her, it may be a terrible part of her but it was still part of her identity, the way she looked at herself. Maybe it was because it used to hold her best memories, and she could sometimes see them through all the terrible memories layered on top of the good ones. Maybe it was both, she didn't know. Kira lay down on her front, propped herself up with her elbows, reached over and turned on her small lamp, and continued to look at the cracked heart.

_"__Happy fifth birthday sweetheart!" Kira's mom handed her a small box wrapped in green wrapping paper. Kira grabbed the box and eagerly tore off the shiny green paper, and opened the box. Inside lay a beautiful gold colored heart necklace. _

_"__Thank you mommy." Kira squealed in delight, "Put it on for me." She handed the box to her mother. _

_Another memory flashed it was Slade this time. Slade taking her necklace, to make her go do something terrible. He took it to make sure she didn't just run off. Her doing it and him giving her necklace back, and dropping it as he was passing it to her. His sneer showing it wasn't an accident. She scooped it up and ran to her room crying. Her gluing it back together. It looked the way she felt, broken and abused._

Kira jerked awake. Kira opened her hand which had clenched around the necklace. With the memory of the horrible thing she had done to get it back, fresh in her mind Kira threw the necklace against the far wall of her room horrified. Slade had taken it from her many times when he wanted her to do something and she didn't want to. A lot of times those things were dreadful. He took it just to make sure she would come back. She always did. She left the necklace on the floor for a bit then, horrified to have thrown the gift her mother had given her, she ran and scooped it up. Kira put it into her back pocket as she looked at the small clock on her night stand, it read 1:15. On her night stand was a small lamp, she always turned it on for the night because of the nightmares she had. Knowing she wouldn't be able to sleep, Kira headed for the ship deck. She climbed up the ladder to the crow's nest. When she reached it she saw Jim, she hadn't realized he was there. _What's he doing up?_ Kira wondered. Silently she climbed the rest of the way into the crow's nest.

Jims POV

After the crew went to bed, Jim couldn't sleep. So he got up and headed for the deck, he wondered what time it was. Then he decided it didn't matter as he climbed the ladder to the crow's nest. The stars shone brightly in the dark night sky. He guessed it was close to midnight.

"How did he do it?" Jim jumped and spun around. He hadn't heard Kira approach.

"How did who do what?" Jim questioned her, recovering quickly.

"Captain Nathaniel Flint. How did he swoop in out of nowhere and then vanish without a trace?"

"I don't know. My mom says it's just a legend, but I know it's real."

"Oh." Was all Kira could reply. Kira asking that question brought Jim back in time to when he was just little.

_"__How do you think he did it mom? How did he swoop in out of nowhere and vanished without a trace?" Jim jumped off the head board of his bed, his mom tried to catch him but missed. He landed on his belly, and quickly dove under the extra blanket that was folded in a long rectangle at the foot of his bed. His mom pulled him out by the foot and blew on his tummy, before tucking him in._

_"__Well, I think it's more," Sarah paused, "Like a legend." _

_"__Oh, I know it's real." Jim insisted._

_"__Fine, it's real." Sarah scrunched up her face and playfully poked Jim's nose._

Jim smiled at the memory. He just knew it was real! Especially now that he had the map. He turned around and leaned out of the crow's nest into the wind, making his bangs fly back. He was aware of Kira walking to a different side of the crow's nest. Jim watched Kira fold her arms, and stare out into the sky. The wind blowing her hair to one side. She seemed to have forgotten that he was there, as she stood there looking up into the night sky.

"Beautiful isn't it." Kira spoke quietly without turning to him.

"Yeah, it is." Jim answered cautiously. He didn't get it, one day they were fighting and the next she was being all nice as if it had never happened. He smiled remembering the fights they'd had over the past three weeks, they'd had about five, and all of them were started by one of them doing something that made them look dumb, the other snickering or laughing about it and the other responding with their fists. Usually it was Kira who started the physical part of the fight. Jim was brought back to the moment when Kira whirled and fled back down the latter.

Kira's POV

She'd said too much, she'd said to much the moment she spoke. Why did she do that? She let her defenses down and she showed him a part of her she didn't need anymore; didn't _want_ anymore. Whenever she put here defenses down, even a little, she said things didn't want to say. It just sort of came out. It made her look weak, and soft. Vulnerable. Her days of being vulnerable were over. Never would anyone see her weak again. Her fists were her only way of hiding it sometimes. It was her way of showing she wasn't weak. And Jim, he refused to accept that she was in control. No one ever protested when she brought her fists down on them. They just shut up and left her alone, accepted her authority. But not Jim, that infuriating cabin boy! He just responded right back with his own fists. Kira walked across the deck and found herself a good hiding spot and huddled there.

Jim's POV

Jim watched Kira as she strode across the ship. Even from up in the nest he noticed the gentle sway in her hips, the way the gentle breeze played with her long dark hair. Her gold hoop earrings glinting off the light from the ship. But all too soon she turned a corner and was out of sight.


End file.
